March 27, 2007
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - ARIZONA STATE sophomore Kaitlin Cochran has been named the Pac-10 Softball Player of the Week for Mar. 20-26, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today.
Cochran was lethal at the plate last week in seven games for the Sun Devils. The 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year was nearly impossible to keep off the bases, and was the driving force in ASUs offense scoring 60 runs in seven games (8.57 runs per game). After dropping a road double-header to UTEP by one run apiece, Arizona State came back to win all five games of its Diamond Devil Invitational.
Despite 5-4 and 8-7 setbacks to UTEP to start the week, Cochran batted 4-for-6 with a double, two RBI, a walk and a stolen base in the two contests.
Returning to Tempe, Ariz. on Friday, the ASU pitching staff came around quickly and Cochran and the offense continued to pound the basepaths, scoring in double-figures three of the next five games. Cochran had a hit in every game, including a 3-for-4 showing against Longwood on Friday in which she hit two home runs and drove in five. In the championship game of the Diamond Devil Invitational, Cochran went 2-for-2 with her third homer of the week and added two runs and two RBI as ASU crushed Illinois, 13-0.
Cochran had a hit in every game last week and owns a current nine-game hitting streak. She hit .750 over the seven-game span (15-for-20) with eight runs scored, three home runs, five doubles, 10 RBI and two stolen bases. Cochrans slugging percentage was 1.450 and her on-base percentage was .800 for the week.
Currently, the Sun Devil slugger is leading the Pac-10 with a .530 batting average, and also leads the league in slugging percentage (.923), on-base percentage (.620), hits (62), doubles (12), total bases (108), is tied for the league lead in runs (45), and is second with 10 home runs.
Ninth-ranked Arizona State (34-7) opens Pac-10 play this week with a game at No. 14 UCLA on Friday, Mar. 30, then two games in Seattle vs. No. 16 Washington on Saturday and Sunday.
This is the third career Player of the Week honor for Cochran, and the 49th Player/Pitcher of the Week all-time for Arizona State.
ALSO NOMINATED: Kristie Fox, ARIZ; Suzie Barnes, ORE; Cambria Miranda, OSU; Jodie Legaspi, UCLA.